1-0*° Van-FE + Den-Pit vs Cal-Pho + Sea-LA (La-NY discarded)
Her yellow start was worst case (at least I thought then, with 3 yellow and 3 orange in my hand) - I answered with orange using 3 of my 6 locos and managed to get a nice route while she needed a loop for longest and apparently needed Van as I had the other western tic on her route - she ended the game with a 2er left in her hand and only 13 fulfilled - even with 2 mins watching my total blindness prevented me from blocking Pittsburg and I blocked the only possible 2nd tic (at least for me then) with Portland, nice and clever match start 112-107 --> decider dumbness

2*°-0 Win-Hou + Chi-NO^ + Dul-Paso (found) vs Sea-NY + Den+Pit (SF-Atl discarded)
I was happy about a nice combo, but the longer the game went the less happier I got - she started with orange as I had zero and needed to take yellow open for my 6 - of course the northern way was no option as she blocked with white and blue, but I was sure my colours would save me via Chicago and maybe one or two big routes at the end could give at least a lil chance as longest was no more - she ended within 9 turns and 6 black so my hope to get at least that 6er was killed (would have had to overdraw anyway for the loco) and so I ended with 5 white, 5 black and the feeling to have lost clearly - surprisingly she did not finish and took time to think, and drew cards then as she had +12 -7...with 4 tix left on the route: 10 8 8 4, finding the 10 and winning 118-113 --> decider 1 out of 3 finder

Sorry for the german comment, Anu - it was nothing to offend you but a grim sense of humor, like if you're digging the wrong hole, dig as deep as you can, there is no way out anyway! I had the better combo by far but then I felt like nothing went the right way...

3°-0* Win-Hou + Chi-NO vs Por-Nas + Dul-Paso (Dal-NY discarded)
Of course a difficult combo for longest and I had no clue where to go, so I started with disturbing her route in the south with yellow and white but needed to stop as I went out of colors, having already used important ones - I just managed to end with 6 blue and making both of my tix, but of course longest was gone, maybe Dallas instead of the 17 would have been the better option: 112-106 --> decider longest

4*°-0 Cal-Pho + Hel-LA vs LA-Mi + LA-Chi^ (Dul-Hou discarded)
She started early with orange as I had 2 black,2 green,4 red,3 white but 5 locos - of course taking black open THEN was a big mistake and she made me go little steps without 6 black - in the end I needed colours I didn't have and only fulfilled the 20er, one turn more was missing for 16 but wouldn't have changed anything with only 2 6er made against 4: 123-76 --> decider dumbness combined with some ugly colours

5°-0* Sea-NY + Mon-Atl vs SSM-Nas + Mon-NO (Kan-Hou discarded) +Hel-LA^ (taken)
My hope was to get a long route with northern 6ers, so I started early with orange after taking different colours open - the next turns clearly revealed 22, but nothing to block for as I had no white and so no big surprise she had 10 of them to get Cal-Win after already having used 4 white for Tor-Chi - longest was gone during the blocking attempt, I hoped to find something in the end with 4 left on the route, her 2nd made it only 3 but there was nothing - I would have needed 2 tix anyway 117-090 --> decider combo/color-situation

6*°-0 Win-Hou + SSM-Okl vs Bos-Mia + Mon-NO (Dul-Hou discarded)
Given eastern tix I used nearly the same tactical idea as the last game and getting 6ers was going on pretty well until she got the 6 white I wanted, maybe this turn made the difference - with Boston and without start I didn't play for longest, anyway I was contented most with this game, but maybe only because it was the last one... 116-111 --> decider longest

After 6 games and nearly without audience interested, we agreed to skip the 94 games missing and saved the both of us a lot of time to do funnier things....like writing these words

Really not my best day, if you are unable to get longest, you have no chance for sure against opps of her size.

Anu was one of my most feared opponents before the match (even though our last games were years ago) with a felt winning percentage around 90%, apparently a wrong feeling

I have a bad record against Pat (0-7, 2-5, 2-5), I decide to be more patient than usual to prevent him from designing tracks according to what I played...1st game : Van Mon Win Lr (disc. Win Hou) vs Port Phoe Den Pitt (his start ) 89 vs 121
I wait too long, way too long. He opens 6 orange when I have 7, then I keep completing my colors. I lay 6 white, he 6 yellow. I lay 4 yellow to Cal, he 1 to Port.

I go for 6 blue to Portland which was my death. He lays grey then 6 pink.
6 blue was a moronic move on my part after an already moronic start. Playing against my nature was definitely a bad choice.
He then finishes 'fast', at least faster than my crap track.
I still get longest and fake a 42. Even with a bad draw there's no way he can lose. But he hits Hel LA anyway.
Clear win for the best player here.>>Screenshot<<

He opens 6 yellow, I answer 6 orange.
He 6 orange on grey, me 6 white, then 4 blue for him and 6 pink for me and 4 to Cal
His one to Van makes me play 3 to Van. He goes down to LA with 4 green, 5 white. My mistake was to not collect more black open.
I even give an extra turn to finish his loop, instead of tying longest.
I lose longest because I can not complete my loop with 1 black missing...better choices by him.
Well played.
0-2 that stinks but I deserve it. Especially that we need a tie at least to stay alive in the clash. Well, time to be more offensive...>>Screenshot<<

3rd game : Van Mon Win LR (Dallas) vs Den Paso Dul Hou (his start)125 vs 101
3rd time Van Mon in a row.
I open 6 orange, I don't have any yellow.
He plays 6 blue on grey, me 6 white, his 6 yellow, my 6 pink.
He then plays 2 to Duluth and 6 black, he's all over the place. I check that there's no way to do La Mia and a Dul Ticket.
I secure Van, then 2 to Pitt. He goes 6 green, 4 pink 5 white, for a fairly fast end. I complete both tickets with longest secured.
1-2>>Screenshot<<

4th game : LA NY Port Nash (Kc Hou) vs Dul Paso SSM Nash (my start)119 vs 115
Big ticket points again but it can easily turn into a nightmare (see game 6).
I start 6 black then 3 to Sf and 6 blue.
He 5 white, 6 orange, 6 grey.
I go 3 to Nash, he 4 yellow to Nash, then my 2 to NY. I play flexible to Dallas while he makes a very nice loop around Dul.
I connect my tickets via 5 green, I have enough points on the board.
He does not draw, 2-2.
Well played by him, but ticket points and the start made it for me.>>Screenshot<<

6th game : La Mia La Chi (Sea ny !) vs LA NY Port Nash (my start)133 vs 107
Again big tickets for me ! His are bigger, mine are nicer, especially with 6 black.
I'm full of green, I have to take red and blue open to have a chance to go to Mia. He lays 3 to SF, 6 orange, then 3 red to Chi and 6 blue. It smells Port Nash badly.
I secure Mia, then 2 to Hou and 6 green. (on the mode, "if you block me, i'll destroy you"... My luck I know he has 38).
He then goes to NY. Ok, I block chi, this is on my longest and I need it anyway. Game is a nightmare for him I guess, he needs 8 pink, I have time to pick up a loco and connect by Denver Omaha.>>Screenshot<<

Good recovery after the first 2 games that I played like crap.

I had 194 points in tickets in 6 games, without drawing any nor playing with 3 tickets, not bad. Discarding 75 more points.
I had 6 black in game 4-5-6 when I needed them, it does help too.
I don't know if Pat could have been a bit more on my way but I, at least, did not play wrong.

Thanks Patrick for the easy schedule, thanks SOS for the tough clash (4 times 4-2).